The Art of Unexpected Romances
by harrypotterismylove
Summary: What Hermione never knew, was that George Weasley saw her as more than just a book-loving, elf-saving, knowledge-craving kid. She was more- so much more- to him. This is the love story of Hermione and George.
1. Chapter 1

The Art of Unexpected Romances

A Hermione Granger and George Weasley Original

Summary: For four years, Hermione Granger has hidden her large crush on a certain Weasley. She has never forgotten how she felt when she first saw him. He looked right at her, and didn't dare speak to her as anything other than an equal. Her insides squirmed as she realized just how mesmerizing his gaze was.

After that, she continued to see him every now and again. Sometimes strolling through the corridors, sometimes laughing with his brother. Though every time she saw him, she was almost positive he saw her to. For her, it seemed he never quite understood how much she craved to have his perfect blue eyes meet her chocolate brown ones.

What Hermione never knew, was that George Weasley saw her as more than just a book-loving, elf-saving, knowledge-craving kid. She was more- so much more- to him.

Chapter One

Hermione Granger was determined not to let her thoughts show on her face. So what if he was coming over? So what if he was grinning slightly as he approached? She groaned slightly, knowing from past experience that she would get absolutely no work done because she would be too flustered with _George Weasley_ sitting so close she could touch him. Not that she would do something like that.

_Calm down, Hermione, _she told herself. _Don't get excited. _But the involuntary action of her lips pulling slightly up at the corners told her she'd be reduced to a giggling schoolgirl before the night was up. George plopped himself down on the opposite side of the couch and smiled (was that nervously?) at her.

"Hey 'Mione," he said. Her eyes grew slightly larger. She was used to admiring him from afar, without anyone knowing. He rarely speaks to her at all and for him to sit beside her for no apparent reason and just start a conversation was enough to make her giggle.

"Hi, George," she smiled back. _Don't be stupid. Be calm._ He tilted his head in the most adorable way as he looked at what she was reading.

"What do you got there?" he asked. She looked down stupidly at her book.

"A book," she replied with a slight smile. He smirked and said, "I noticed. I meant what's it about?"

"Two teenagers who fall in love, get married, then kill themselves."

He looked reproachfully at her and said, "That doesn't sound like a good story to me."

"No, it is! _Romeo and Juliet _is a classic! Their families hate each other so their love is forbidden. They fight for it, but in the end, they commit suicide."

"Why would they do that?"

"If you want to find out, you'll have to read it," she said, grinning.

"If this Jomeo and Ruliet is considered a classic, then why have I never heard of it?"

"It's a _Muggle _classic. Shakespeare."

"Oh," he said. George looked at Hermione. She blushed. "So tell me, Granger. Do you blush like that for every bloke or am I just special?" He winked at her.

"So tell me, Weasley," she said with a sly smile. "Do you flirt like that with every girl or am I just special?" George grinned at her words.

"Yes."

"Yes?" she asked. "Yes what?"

"Yes, you're special." Hermione blushed even deeper at these words and dipped her head.

"I'm not."

"Is that what you really think, Hermione?" George said. His words puzzled her, and caused her to look up. He shook his head slightly. "Don't ever think you're anything _less. _You're beautiful, smart, talented, and the brightest witch of our age."

"George, stop." He shook his head more firmly.

"No, I think you're beyond special." Hermione, thinking he was just saying these things to make her feel better, looked at him to tell him just that when she paused. His bright blue eyes were staring at her so intensely they made her weak in the knees.

"This might be the first conversation we've had where I'm not telling you off..." Hermione said lightly. "I like talking to you." George smiled. Then his grin widened and he said, "I know. I'm irresistible." He winked at her again. She turned pink and thought, _If only you knew. _

"So, Granger," he said. "Is it true what everyone says?" Hermione looked up, curious.

"What does everyone say?" George blinked. His ears turned slightly red and he looked around the room. "You know... If it's true you fancy Ron?" Hermione's eyes widened and she gaped at him.

"Excuse me?" she choked out. "Everybody is saying _what?" _she said more clearly.

George finally looked her again and said, "You mean you didn't know?" She shook her head. "Even Ron thinks so. He's been trying to let you down easy for ages." Hermione was positively gobsmacked. _Let her down easy?_ "Wait, do you _not _fancy Ron?"

"_No! I_ _do not fancy_ _Ronald Weasley!" _Hermione shuddered at the thought. Sure, she _liked _Ron. He was a good friend when he wasn't being an insensitive git, but she _never _thought about him that way. He was like a brother to her. Him and Harry both. George, on the other hand, had the opposite effect on her. He was funny, kind, brave, and very handsome too. He made her insides squirm whenever he looked at her. Her stomach did somersaults when he smiled and she blushed every time he looked at her.

"If you don't fancy Ron, then who has your heart, Hermione?" George asked, finally resuming their fun conversation. Hermione blushed scarlet and said, "Maybe next time, George."

He grinned and replied, "As long as I'm promised a next time, I'm happy." Hermione giggled. They talked for two more hours before Fred burst through the portrait hole and stole his twin away. With an apologetic smile at Hermione, George climbed the stairs up to his dormitory. Hermione stayed in the common room and barely suppressed the urge to jump up and down squealing in excitement over having an entire conversation with _George Weasley!_

* * *

><p>"So," Fred started. "Granger, eh?"<p>

"Come again?" George replied. "What about Mione?" Fred smirked.

"Oh, so she's _Mione _now?"

"What are you going on about?"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say Georgie had a crush on an ickle fourth year."

"She was sitting by herself. I just thought she looked lonely so I said hello. We ended up talking for a long time. It's no big deal, mate." George was hoping to drop it there but Fred had other ideas. His eyes widened and he groaned, "Oh, God!" George looked up, confused.

"What?" George asked. Fred just stared at him as if he'd just sprouted an extra head.

"You fancy her!" he accused. George's ears turned red in the classic Weasley blush.

"You can't even deny it!" he exclaimed. "You know she fancies Ickle Ronnikins."

"No she doesn't. She told me." George said. "Anyways, I'm tired. Can we just forget it?" Fred shook his head, grinning. George groaned. He wasn't anywhere near hearing the end of this.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Not J.K. Rowling**

* * *

><p>Hermione woke up feeling dazed and confused. She didn't remember coming up to her dormitory at all last night, and yet, here she was, tucked in underneath her blankets. She slowly sat up, looking around the room and rubbing her eyes. She realized that nobody else was there. Quickly looking at her watch, she gasped when she saw the time. It was ten o'clock in the bloody morning! She <em>never <em>slept that late! Scrabbling out of her bed, she dashed to the other side of the large room and hurried into her clothes. She raced out of the common room and didn't stop until she reached the Great Hall. Finally, she spotted Harry and Ron, just as they were about to leave.

She called out to them as they were shuffling out the doors. They turned and saw her, pink-faced and out of breath.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Harry asked when they got closer. She nodded her head.

"Why are you in your robes?" Ron asked. Hermione was still gasping for breath. "It's _Saturday!" _Her eyes widened and she gaped at him.

"N-no it isn't!" she stuttered, seemingly trying to convince herself. "It's _Friday! _And I'm late for class! I have no idea why I slept so late!" Harry blinked while Ron appeared to be fighting a grin.

"Er- Hermione? Ron's right. It _really _is Saturday." Hermione stared at the two boys for a long moment before she covered her mouth with her hand.

"I _ran _for nothing?" she whispered to herself. Ron couldn't hold in his laugh any longer. Harry must have found it funny as well, because he too started laughing (though not as hard because Hermione was quite terrifying when she's angry.) Even Hermione smiled. Soon, they were all laughing hysterically.

Right when their laughter finally started to subside, and they were clenching their sides, Fred and George appeared.

"Hello, fourth years," Fred greeted with a mischievous smile. Harry and Ron greeted Fred with smiles and nods, but Hermione turned to George.

"Hey," she said shyly.

"Hey yourself," he said with a grin. "Sorry about last night; we were in the middle of something until Fred rudely interrupted us." Hermione smiled.

"That's alright." She paused, looking around at all her friends. "Speaking of last night, I don't even remember going up to my dormitory. I woke up this morning all confused. Did any of you lot see me go up there?" George blushed and avoided her gaze.

"You didn't go up," he said. Hermione turned to him and knit her eyebrows together. "I came back down about half an hour after I left. I forgot my bag by the couch and I was coming to get it when I saw you asleep in the common room and you looked so uncomfortable. I couldn't just leave you there. So… I, erm… carried you to your room." George's face blushed deeper and the last part came out mumbled. Fred, Ron and Harry started howling with laughter. Hermione was just as red when she forced out a laugh nervously.

"I don't snore, do I?" she asked.

He laughed and shook his head. "No, but you do talk in you sleep. I couldn't really make out what you said though." Hermione quickly looked away and thanked the heavens he hadn't been able to understand her. She'd actually dreamed of _him _last night.

"Must have been nothing," she stuttered. A pause followed her words as the friends fell silent.

"Why are you wearing your robes?" Fred and George suddenly asked, sounding very confused.

Harry and Ron laughed again while Hermione rolled her eyes.

* * *

><p>Hermione and Ron were fighting. Again. She couldn't even remember why this time. Having had enough, she exasperatedly through her arms in the air and walked away, leaving her book behnd. After a few moments, Ron started to feel guilty. Nudging Harry in the ribs, he gathered his books and motioned for Harry to do the same. He looked confused, but he obliged. Ron sat on Hermione's left and Harry on her right. Ron handed her some extra parchment and her book. There was an unspoken apology between the two, which Hermione accepted. Silence overtooks them all as they tried finishing the essays Snape assigned them as fast as possible.<p>

"Mione?"

Silence.

"Mione?"

Quill pausing for a faction of a second before touching the parchment once more.

A poke in the rib.

An annoyed sigh, but no other indication said girl had even felt a thing.

He closed her book.

"_What do you want, Ronald Weasley?" _

"Can you look over my History of Magic essay?"

"By 'look over' do you mean complete?"

"Yes."

Hermione sighed. "Alright, Ronald." Hermione bent down to get her quill when she heard Ron say, "You're the absolute best, Hermione! Now I remember why we keep you around," he added with a teasing smile. She paused and looked up. Managing a smile that looked more like grimace, Hermione slowly got to her feet. Mumbling something about 'fresh air' and 'Crookshanks', she left the common room.

Quickly, she stumbled her way to the lake. Taking a deep and steady breath, she sat down by an old tree. She thought back to a time when she was home, in Muggle-London, with her family.

"'_Mione! 'Mione, over here!" a young girl called to her friend. Surrounding her were a small group of friends. They thought the twelve-year-old Hermione was still out of earshot, so they continued talking._

"_What are you doing, Janie?" said a boy with dark hair and freckles._

"_Inviting her over, Marc. Do you have a problem with that?" the one called Janie said. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. _

_The boy__-__Marc__-__ snorted. "We only sit next to her in class because she lets us copy her answers." Janie looked slightly guilty._

"_I know, but she's quite nice…" Her friends sniggered. _

"_She never shuts up!" one said. Everyone nodded in agreement. _

"_That's the only reason we keep her around, Janie," Marc said, shaking his head. "Nobody likes her. We can't be seen with her." _

_Hermione felt her eyes start to water with tears she refused to shed. Turning on her heel, she marched away, trying to keep her pride. _

Hermione, thankful she hadn't cried at the memory, heard footsteps behind her. Turning slowly, she choked on a scream as a hand clamped over her mouth.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been _hours _since he's seen her. _Hours! _He missed her so much. They spent all their free time together the last few days, and George had become used to seeing her big brown eyes everyday. He slumped lower in his seat, hardly paying attention to Fred. He was too busy drowning in memories of Hermione to notice his little brother say something with a wink to her. George was too distracted thinking about the way Hermione bit her lip when she was contemplating something to notice her forced smile as she quickly left the common room. He was too busy finally wondering why she left so hastily to notice Fred asking where he was going.

Rising from his spot on the couch, George set out after his distraction. When he turned to his left he saw the hem of her robe whipping out of sight behind the corner. Curious, he followed her closely behind as she made her way outside the castle. He watched as she sat down beside the big oak tree by the lake.

Thinking she needed some cheering up, George snuck up behind her and thought quickly. In an attempt to playfully frighten her, he wrapped his arm securely around her waist, and placed his other hand over her mouth. He watched as she struggled against him, her eyes wide.

Finally realizing it was him, Hermione rolled her eyes and shoved him away playfully. With a slight smile, she gestured for him to sit down. He complied, and patiently waited for her to explain what was bothering her.

After she stayed silent for many moments he decided to gently question her, "So, what's bothering you, 'Mione?"

"Nothing but a stupid memory resurfacing," she answered quietly.

"You don't have to tell me about if you don't want to." he said kindly.

Hermione looked down at her hands, her eyebrows pushing together. She shrugged slightly before launching into the story like she'd been waiting a long time to tell someone.

After she was finished explaining, George had an angry look in his eyes, like he wanted nothing more than to hurt the people that had hurt his… His what? His little brother's best friend? No, she was more to him than that… What exactly she was to him, he didn't know. But he was sure she meant _something_ to him.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" she asked, wondering why he looked so upset.

"I- I… I can't believe them…"

"It's not like they knew I was listening. It's not even like they intentionally hurt me." she tried to shrug it off. "It's really not a big deal."

This made him even more frustrated that she was trying to blow off her emotions.

"Are you… Are you _defending _them?" he said incredulously.

She shook her head.

"What they said was inexcusable and hurtful, I'm not denying that, I'm just saying that there are more important things to focus on than something that happened two years ago!"

"Hermione! Don't you get it? They hurt you when you were a friend to them. A friend they didn't even deserve."

"What does it even matter if I have bruised feelings anyway?" she said getting has frustrated as he was.

"It matters because…" he started forcefully, then let his sentence trail off, "Because you didn't deserve it. You shouldn't have to doubt who your true friends are. But because of _them _you're forced to. It matters because I care about you. And I… erm… can't believe I just said that."

Hermione stared at him with wide eyes, confusion written on her face.

"Re-… Really?"

What George didn't know was that Hermione had a battle of emotions raging in her chest. Shock. Confusion. Giddiness. Excitement. Still a bit of sadness at recalling the memory. But most of all, an overpowering joy at the thought of George- _George Fabian Weasley_- caring about her.

"Really? What do you mean by 'really?'"

"I… I just… I don't know!" In truth, Hermione was reluctant to believe that a brave, kind, handsome, funny, smart, older guy like George could ever really care about a bookworm like her.

George grinned, amused as she stuttered. It was nice seeing her, of all people, at a loss for words. Interlocking his fingers with hers, he watched as she blushed scarlet and closed her mouth. He inched closer and felt her pulse quicken.

He gave her an irritatingly smug smile and said, "See you at dinner, 'Mione."

"No, wait." she called when he turned away.

George gave her an even smugger look as he strut past her and sat down next to the oak tree. Rolling her eyes as he pat the dirt next to him, she bit her lip to keep from giggling, and sat down.

They talked for over an hour and it was the most peaceful they'd ever felt. Just sitting there together talking about absolutely nothing. But it meant everything to them.

"So I hear you and Fred want to find a way to get your name in the Goblet?" she asked out of nowhere.

"Yeah, that's right, we've come up with this Aging Potion that's supposed to really-"

"It's not going to work." she sang.

"Oh yeah? And why's that, Granger?" he said picking up the same teasing tone.

"Didn't you see the ring around it? That's an _Age Line, _Dumbledore drew it himself."

"So?"

"_So? _A genius like Dumbledore couldn't possibly be fooled by a dodge as pathetically dimwitted as an Aging Potion."

"That's why it's so brilliant; because it's so pathetically dimwitted." he said grinning.

She laughed lightly. "We'll see who right then, won't we?"

He grinned and nodded, "Yes, we will see. But, I'm afraid my other half is waiting for me."

"What other half?" Hermione said trying to sound casual, but failing tremendously.

"Not that kind of half, love," he said quickly, laughing. "_Fred._ We're meant to prepare some dungbombs for Filch."

"Oh…" she said trying not to sound too disappointed. "Oh, all right then."

He stood reluctantly and smiled apologetically down at her. She waved in return as he walked away.

That night at dinner was interesting; by some lucky coincidence George was seated across from Hermione, as Fred had taken the other seat beside Ginny. He was having a large amount of fun subtly flirting with her while she blushed and made sure no one else heard or was looking.

"Hermione?" Ron said. "Hermione, are you even listening to me?"

"What?" she said bewildered, looking past Harry at him. He hadn't been talking to her, had he?

"I was asking if you'd finished my History of Magic essay." he said.

"Oh…" she said. "No, I haven't."

"You can do your own homework, Ronald." George snapped. Hermione looked up at him, caught between slight surprise and amusement.

"But she always does it for me?" said Ron, confused at George's grumpiness.

"Not anymore, she doesn't." said George simply.

His foot accidentally found Hermione's underneath the table when suddenly they were startled by a rather loud Bulgarian accent.

"Herm-own-ninny." it purred sickeningly.

Viktor Krum was sitting next to Hermione, appearing out of nowhere. George slid his foot back quickly.

"Oh. Hello, Viktor." she said surprised.

George narrowed his eyes at how Krum's hand was resting so close to Hermione's. She must have noticed it as well, because her hand retreated back several centimeters.

"I heard about the trip to Hogsmeade, and I vos hoping you vould accompany me." he said, very bluntly.

Hermione was shocked, George looked furious. She was about to politely decline when George abruptly got to his feet and stormed out of the Great Hall. Everyone stared after him curiously. Hermione looked hurt, but soon remembered Viktor was waiting for her answer.

"Um… I'm sorry Viktor, but I'm sort of seeing someone else." she lied, somewhat. She wasn't technically 'seeing' George. But she was very interested in him. And apparently he was interested in her too.

"Vat is the lucky bloke's name?" Viktor asked, not appearing upset by her answer.

"Um…" Hermione said, looking around at her friends that were all staring at her surprised. "H- His name is… Gerry."

She cringed at how ridiculous the name sounded. Anyone would be able to guess she was referring to George. In fact, Fred raised an eyebrow and looked smugly at her. Of course his twin would be informed as soon as possible.

Hermione turned pink and excused herself from the table. She took the opportunity to go find George. She went to the Gryffindor common room and found him in the red chair by the fireplace.

"Why did you leave like that?" she asked as she approached him.

His head snapped up and his face instantly turned into a sneer.

"Where's Vikky?" he asked. "You don't want to leave him waiting."

Hermione looked taken aback, as George stormed up to his dormitory without another word.

The next day Hermione tried several times to get George to speak to her, but he would never stop long enough to give her time to explain. It was hard enough to catch him by himself, always surrounded by Fred and his other sixth year friends.

She had overheard him talking to Fred about how excited he was about something that was going to happen that night, so she decided to borrow Harry's map and go looking for him.


	4. Chapter 4

"RUN!" Fred shouted loudly, not bothering to stay quiet any longer since they'd already been caught.

"That's what I'm doing!" George yelled back at him.

They had just set off a load of dungbombs in Filch's office, not realizing that Filch was in there while they were doing it. So they were now running along the seventh floor not watching where they were going.

When George didn't hear Fred's footsteps any longer he realized his brother must have hid somewhere along the way.

_Nice of him to clue me in. _George thought as he continued running, looking for a place to hide. He looked over his shoulder to see if Filch or Mrs. Norris were still following him when he collided with a small person who squeaked.

"Oh!" they exclaimed.

They tumbled to the ground together in a tangle of limbs. It took George a moment to realize just who he had bumped into. He got up quickly and stared at her for a while. Then, he held out his hand to help her up.

Hermione's big brown eyes stared at him intently for a moment before saying, "Ouch…"

George chuckled in spite of himself.

"Come on, we've got to run unless you want a month's worth of detention." he said, grabbing her wrist and taking off again.

George was running so fast Hermione could hardly keep up. On the seventh floor opposite an enormous tapestry depicting Barnabas the Barmy attempting to train trolls for the ballet, a door appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Without hesitating, George pulled Hermione through the doors and into the dark, tiny room.

They listened silently for Filch or Mrs. Norris but heard nothing. It was then that George realized how very close they were to each other. And remembering what had happened to make him avoid her, he stiffened and turned his gaze towards the door.

"Why are you avoiding me?" she said loudly.

"Shh!" he snapped.

"No! I will not 'shh!'" she said.

"Hermione!"

"Why have you been avoiding me?" she said again, louder this time.

He sighed heavily. "Hermione…"

"Why? Tell me why, George."

"You should know why." he said coldly, wishing that he could leave the room so he wouldn't be forced to have this conversation.

"I don't like these games." she said.

"You think I do? You're the one that started this."

"_ME?_"

"Shh!" he said pleadingly.

"And _how? _How exactly did I start this?" she said, crossing her arms.

"Like you don't know."

"Exactly! I don't know!"

"Krum!" he finally snapped at her.

"No… I'm Hermione…"

"Wha- No! I meant, your date." he spat.

"I don't have a date… What are you on about?" she said thoroughly confused.

"You- you- you don't have a date?" he said slightly confused, hardly daring to hope she had told Krum no.

"No, you idiot! If you hadn't stormed out of the Great Hall you'd know that! And I've been trying to talk to you since it happened. But _no! _You wouldn't even listen to me!"

George had no idea what to say. How could he be so stupid?

"I… I'm sorry, Hermione."

"_Sorry? _Well you should be!" she huffed.

He didn't know what to do. He hung his head and raked his hands through his red hair.

He heard her sigh and then her feather light fingers brushed a piece of lint off his shoulder, and he could have sworn his heart stopped at her touch. It felt like the room had gotten even smaller and there was only just enough room for the two of them.

His head was screaming at him, _Grab her hand! Kiss her! KISS HER!_

As soon as he was leaning in and her eyes were getting wide they heard a loud bang coming from the other side of the door, making him freeze.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED! STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" It was Peeves the Poltergeist, torturing Filch again by making him think there were students awake on the seventh floor when he really hadn't seen anyone. Only problem; there really were students there.

"Damn you, Peeves." said George under his breath.

Hermione gasped. "What if Filch checks in this closet? Should we make a run for it now?"

"No," said George. "He's probably already on his way."

Truth was, George really didn't want to leave things like this. And he did enjoy being this close to her. Funny how not five minutes ago he wanted to escape from here so badly, and now he wanted nothing more than to stay with her. And he knew Filch probably would know better than to listen to Peeves, anyway.

She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. It probably would have hurt had his heart not been soaring at her touch.

"Don't worry, 'Mione. I won't let you get caught." he said smiling. It felt good to smile around her again.

"I've missed you." she whispered.

He stopped breathing.

"A lot." she added.

He stayed silent, enjoying this dream way too much. Another loud bang from Peeves made him remember she had said something.

"Oh, yeah. I missed you too. A lot. Really." he said making her laugh. He adored her laugh.

Ten minutes later they decided it was safe, and they made their way back to the Gryffindor common room. What they didn't notice was that the door disappeared behind them when they left, like it was made for that one special time for them, and they wouldn't see it for another year.

When they reached the common room and it was time for them to go to their separate dormitories they realized their hands were still intertwined. Hermione blushed and George grinned. It seemed neither of them wanted to let go.

"Well, goodnight, George." she said.

"Goodnight, Hermione." he replied, still not letting go of her hand.

She smiled and softly slipped her hand out of his grasp. She gave him a fleeting hug before running up the stairs. He stared at the place where she had stood for a few moments, grinning stupidly to himself before going to bed.

As the next day was Saturday, most students would normally have breakfasted late. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, however, were not alone in rising much earlier than they usually did on weekends. When they went down into the entrance hall, they saw about twenty people milling around it, some of them eating toast, all examining the Goblet of Fire. It had been placed in the center of the hall on the stool that normally bore the Sorting Hat. A thin golden line had been traced on the floor, forming a circle ten feet around it in every direction.

"Anyone put their name in yet?" Ron asked a third-year girl eagerly.

"All the Durmstrang lot," she replied. "But I haven't seen anyone from Hogwarts yet."

"Bet some of them put it in last night after we'd all gone to bed," said Harry.

_After _you'd_ gone to bed, _Hermione thought to herself, grinning.

"I would've if it had been me… wouldn't have wanted everyone watching. What if the goblet just gobbed you right back out again?" he went on.

Someone laughed behind Harry. Hermione's eyes lit up when she saw George, Fred, and Lee Jordan hurrying down the staircase, all three of them looking excited.

"Done it," Fred said in a triumphant whisper to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Just taken it."

"What?" said Ron. Hermione knew exactly what he was talking about.

"The Aging Potion, dung brains," said Fred.

"One drop each," said George, rubbing his hands together with glee and winking at Hermione. "We only need to be a few months older."

"We're going to split the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins," said Lee, grinning broadly.

"It's not going to work," sang Hermione, looking directly at George.

He grinned at her and said, "Oh yeah? And why's that, Granger?"

She laughed. "See this?" she said, gesturing to the ring around the goblet. "This is an _Age Line, _Dumbledore drew it himself."

"So?" Fred asked, at just the right moment.

"_So," _she said slamming her book shut._ "_A genius like Dumbledore couldn't possibly be fooled by a dodge as pathetically dimwitted as an Aging Potion."

"That's why it's so brilliant." said Fred.

"Because it's so pathetically dimwitted." George said grinning.

Hermione laughed at their secret game. "We'll see who's right then, won't we?"

Everyone else looked confused at how they were behaving.

Standing up on the benches, the twins shook their potions and said,

"Ready, Fred?"

"Ready, George."

"Bottoms up." they both said.

Together, they jumped in the circle and when nothing happened, the crowd cheered. Hermione rolled her eyes and turned back to her book.

For a split second they all thought it had worked - George certainly thought so, for he let out a yell of triumph and leapt after Fred - but next moment, there was a loud sizzling sound, and both twins were hurled out of the golden circle as though they had been thrown by an invisible shot-putter. They landed painfully, ten feet away on the cold stone floor, and to add insult to injury, there was a loud popping noise, and both of them sprouted identical long white beards.

The entrance hall rang with laughter, Hermione being the loudest. Even Fred and George joined in, once they had gotten to their feet and taken a good look at each other's beards.

"I'm still better looking than you are," said Fred.

"I told you so!" Hermione shouted at George.

The twins looked at her. "You told me I was better looking than George?" said Fred.

"What? No! I told you it wouldn't work."

"Guess you were right, Granger." said George grinning.

But George's smile almost instantly fell from his face as his least favorite person walked in the room silencing everyone's laughter. Hermione turned around and saw that it was Viktor Krum, and she turned back to her book again, rolling her eyes.

George was overjoyed, and smiled brightly at her. She smiled back and when she returned to her book, he resumed glaring at Krum. He hated everything about him, if that was possible. The confident way he looked at everyone like he could have them all wrapped around his finger in no time. The way he assumed every girl wanted him. Even his ridiculous accent. But most of all, he was afraid Hermione might decide she liked him more. It couldn't be hard to like someone like Krum over someone like George.

He didn't even notice Hermione making her way over to them because he was too focused on hating Krum.

"How about we get you two to the infirmary then?" asked Hermione.

"Oh, no," said Fred. "I think Angelina might accompany me instead if I ask her to. I'd really rather have her accompany me to my death bed."

Hermione saw Angelina look up and smirk, but she nodded nonetheless. Thankfully, Hermione had her back turned when George mouthed a 'Thank you' to Fred.

When she faced George again he was offering her his arm.

"Would m'lady care to escort me to the hospital wing?" he said grinning.

Hermione giggled and took his arm eagerly. Ron and Harry stared confusedly after them.

"You don't think…" Ron said. "George and Hermione…"

"No, no, of course not." said Harry, not as sure as he sounded.

Disclaimer: I do not in any way own Harry Potter! I do not own the characters! Harry Potter is owned by J.K.R.


	5. Chapter 5

George and Hermione had been walking to the Hospital Wing for a good while now, joking lightly and enjoying each others company. Every so often George's hand would brush hers so he could watch her blush and then glare at him as she realized the game he was playing. Their talk became quiet after a while and the space wasn't filled until George abruptly asked her, "Why didn't you want Fred and I to put our names in the Goblet?"

Hermione turned pink and hid behind her hair. After a few moments had passed, she finally answered him. Rather quietly she replied stupidly, "Because I would have been sleep-deprived?"

Confused by her answer, he asked her to explain further.

"I would have been so worried that you could very easily get picked." She said simply, still not giving him the answer he was looking for. Hermione had a tendency to be very vague when it came to talking about her feelings.

Silence. Then, "I'm sorry, but I still don't fully understand."

"Are you going to make me say it?" Hermione whispered softly, trying to sound irritated but just coming across exasperated.

"I would like to know what you mean."

"…I would worry, okay?" she said. "I would worry that your name would fly out of that Goblet and that you would be sucked into that tournament! People die in this tournament! People change!" She paused. She turned a violent shade of red and fought with herself in an internal battle she hoped wasn't written on her face.

Continue or stop? she asked herself.

_Continue, he'll think it's sweet._ said her heart.

_Stop!_ her brain shouted. _You'll scare him away._

_Keep going!_

_Stop!_

_No!_

_Yes!_

Fed up with the war going on inside of her she surrendered with a sigh and continued. "I would have so many restless nights; worrying that you were a part of that. Knowing that you could die at any time during the tasks, while I'm watching from the stands." George stopped her by touching her arm.

"Really?" he asked her, his voice disbelieving. "You would really be worried?" Hermione was just as shocked as he was that she had said all of that to him. She nodded slowly anyway, still not looking at him. Without warning, George pulled her into a tight hug. Hermione was just starting to respond when he pulled away and looked her squarely in the face.

"I would like to say something," George told her. "But it might be a tad inappropriate because I am such an old man right now." Hermione laughed at him.

"I forgot that was the whole reason we were going to the infirmary!" George chuckled and nodded forward. "Let's go, then."

* * *

><p>"Mr. Weasley?" Madam Pomfrey questioned when she saw them walking in. "Tried to put your name in that Goblet too, did you?" Hermione laughed while George grimaced. "Yes, well take a lie down on that bed and I'll be with you in a moment."<p>

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey." said Hermione.

She nodded and they made their way over to the bed on the other side of the room. Hermione tried to stifle her laugh while she took in the sight of several students who had also tried to sneak their way into the Tournament.

George looked intently at her. "Can I hear the joke?" he asked her, smiling. She nodded while still giggling.

"I never knew so many students wanted to look like Dumbledore," she said. George laughed and laid down on the bed. Sighing, he interlaced his fingers and rested his head between his hands.

"I'm going to die of boredom," he stated after a few moments. He turned his gaze from the ceiling to Hermione, who stood awkwardly next to him. She glanced down and smiled slightly.

"You don't know that," she said to him. "You'll have Fred."

"Yeah, I'll have Fred going on about how beautiful Angelina looked during Charms today. 'Oh, you should have seen her George! She was like an angel!' That'll be fun." Hermione chuckled.

"I'll stay with you," she blurted without thinking. Instantly, she turned red and stuttered out, "I-if you want me to, I mean…" George smiled at her nervousness and came to her rescue.

"I'd like that," he reassured her. She smiled in relief that he actually wanted her around.

"Well, at least we know you'll keep your dashing good looks when you're old," she replied with a wink. He grinned back at her.

Hermione was laughing freely now after taking one look at his confused face. His grin turned mischievous and he sat upright on the bed. He seemed to just now understand that she was teasing him.

"Now, Miss Granger," he started. "That was very rude of you." Hermione was still giggling slightly. He subtly sneaked his arm around her back and pulled her down to the bed. Her smile faded. Surprised brown eyes looked up at him as he leaned over her. He moved so that there was barely an inch between their faces. His hands found her waist.

He smiled softly and…

Tickled her mercilessly. She nearly shrieked with laughter. Gasping for breath she made to retrieve her wand, but he grabbed her hand.

"Tut tut," he said. "No, Miss Granger." He tickled her even more. Hermione hand reached up ever so slightly with her body shaking in laughter and pulled his long, white beard. He yelped and jumped back from her.

"Not the beard!" he shouted, sounding truly hurt, but his grin never faltered. She laughed down at him.

"Don't tickle me, then," she said.

"Yes, ma'am," he said pathetically. "I've learned my lesson. Come back now?" He patted the spot next to him on the bed.

She hesitated, looking him in the eye as if they would tell her if he meant it. She decided to trust him and sat down at the foot of the bed. He laughed and re-positioned himself so that his feet were on the pillow where his head should be and his head was resting on her lap.

She wanted to stroke his hair, but thought it might be weird since his choppy red hair was now long and white. It was easy to see him as the playful teenager he truly was though, behind all the wrinkles and white hair that is. She laughed down at him.

"What is it now?" he asked. It seemed to him that Hermione was always enjoying a private joke to herself.

"Oh, nothing," she said. "You just... You're an old man, it's funny."

He rolled his eyes. Despite the fact that they were in the hospital wing, and that George looked like an eighty-year-old man, Hermione wanted to freeze this moment. Live in it forever and never forget. This perfect moment.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I merely own the plot. **

**If you didn't already know, this is set in Hermione's fourth year, George's sixth. I will try to go along with the book completely and this chapter is ****almost**** word for word pages 265-272 of **_**Goblet of Fire**_**. I hope you enjoy it!**

The next day, Harry, Ron, and Hermione ended up having lunch with Hagrid, though they didn't eat much- Hagrid had made what he said was beef casserole, but after Hermione unearthed a large talon in hers, they rather lost their appetites. However, they enjoyed themselves trying to make Hagrid tell them what the tasks in the tournament were going to be, speculating which of the entrants were likely to be selected as champions, and wondering whether George and Fred were beardless yet. Hermione seemed to be biting her lip to keep from laughing, Harry noticed.

A light rain had started to fall by midafternoon; it was very cozy sitting by the fire, listening to the gentle patter of the drops on the window, watching Hagrid darning his socks and arguing with Hermione about house-elves- for he flatly refused to join S.P.E.W. when she showed him her badges.

"It'd be doin' 'em an unkindness, Hermione," he said gravely, threading a massive bone needle with thick yellow yarn. "It's in their nature ter look after humans, that's what they like, see? Yeh'd be makin; 'em unhappy ter take away their work, an' insultin' 'em if yeh tried ter pay 'em."

But Harry set Dobby free, and he was over the moon about it!" said Hermione. "_And _we heard he's asking for wages now!"

"Yeah, well, yeh get weirdos in every breed. I'm not sayin' there isn't the odd elf who'd take freedom, but yeh'll never persuade most of 'em ter do it- no, nothing' doin', Hermione."

Hermione looked very cross indeed and stuffed her box of badges back into her cloak pocket.

By half past five it was growing dark, and Ron, Harry, and Hermione decided it was time to get back up to the castle for the Halloween feast- and, more important, the announcement of the school champions.

"I'll come with yeh," Hagrid, putting away his darning. "Jus' give us a sec."

Hagrid got up, went up across to the chest of drawers beside his bed, and began searching for something inside it. They didn't pay too much attention until and truly horrible smell reached their nostrils. Coughing, Ron said, "Hagrid, what's that?"

"Eh?" said Hagrid, turning around with a large bottle in his hand. "Don' yeh like it?"

"Is that aftershave?" said Hermione in a slightly chocked voice.

"Er- eau de cologne," Hagrid muttered. He was blushing . "Maybe it's a bit much," he said gruffly. "I'll go take it off, hang on…"

He stumped out of the cabin, and they saw him washing himself vigorously in the water barrel outside the window.

"Eau de cologne?" said Hermione in amazement. "_Hagrid?" _

"And what's with the hair and the suit?" said Harry in an undertone.

"Look!" said Ron suddenly, pointing out of the window.

Hagrid had just straightened up and turned 'round. If he had been blushing before, it was nothing to what he was doing now. Getting to their feet very cautiously, Harry, Ron, and Hermione peered through the window and saw Madame Maxime and the Beauxbatons students had just emerged from their carriage, clearly about to set off for the feast too. They couldn't hear what Hagrid was saying, but he was talking to Madame Maxime with a rapt, misty-eyed expression Harry had only ever seen him wear once- when he had been looking at the baby dragon, Norbert.

"He's going up to the castle with her!" said Hermione indignantly. "I thought he was waiting for us!"

* * *

><p>When they entered the candlelit Great Hall it was almost full. The Goblet of Fire had been moved; it was now standing in front of Dumbledore's empty chair at the teachers' table. Fred and George- clean-shaven again- seemed to have taken their disappointment quite well.<p>

"Hope it's Angelina," said Fred as Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down.

"So do I!" said Hermione breathlessly. "Well, we'll soon know!"

George grinned as Hermione gave him a nervous smile. He playfully bumped her arm with his and she bit her lip to keep from giggling in a very un-Hermioneish manner. Oh, what he did to her.

No one noticed this little exchange, though, as they were all too absorbed in their excitement.

Hermione smiled to herself as she remembered a very happy two hours she spent at the Hospital Wing with George. Madam Pomfrey was able to fix him and Fred with a lazy flick of her wand, but they had been forced to wait while she cared for the other students. Neither seemed to mind much.

The Halloween feast seemed to take much longer than usual. Perhaps because it was their second feast in two days, no one seemed to fancy the extravagantly prepared food as they normally would have. Like everyone else in the Great Hall, judging by constantly craning necks, the impatient expressions on every face, the fidgeting, and the standing up to see whether Dumbledore had finished eating yet, the group of friends simply wanted the plates to clear, and to hear who had been selected as champions.

At long last, the golden plates returned to their original spotless state; there was a sharp upswing in the level of noise within the Hall, which died away almost as Dumbledore got to his feet. On either side of him, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime looked as tense and expectant as anyone. Ludo Bagman was beaming and winking at various students. Mr. Crouch, however, looked quite uninterested, almost bored.

"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dumbledore. "I estimate that it requires one more minute time. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber,"- he indicated the door behind the staff table-"where they will be receiving their first instructions."

He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging them into a state of semidarknessness. The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes. Everyone watched, waiting… A few people kept checking their watches…

"Any second," Lee Jordan whispered, two seats from Harry.

The flames inside the goblet turned suddenly red again. Sparks began to fly from it. Next moment, a tongue of flames shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it- the whole room gasped.

Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue-white.

"The champion for Durmstrang," he read, in a strong, clear voice, "will be Viktor Krum."

"No surprises there!" yelled Ron as a storm of applause and cheering swept the Hall. George tightened his grip on the table and clenched his teeth. Hermione noticed this and smiled softly at him while placing her gentle hands over his tense ones. She felt them relax and she gave him a dazzling smile. He returned her grin and squeezed her hand.

Hermione, George, Ron, Harry, Fred, Angelina, Lee, and Ginny saw Viktor Krum rise from the Slytherin table and slouch up toward Dumbledore; he turned right, walked along the staff table, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber.

"Bravo, Viktor!" boomed Karkaroff, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all of the applause. "Knew you had it in you!"

The clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone's attention was focused on the goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore, "is Fleur Delacour!"

"It's her, Ron!" Harry shouted as the girl who resembled a veela got gracefully to her feet, shook back her sheet of silvery blond hair, and swept between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables.

"Oh look, they're all disappointed," Hermione said over the noise, nodding towards the remainder of the Beauxbatons party.

"Disappointed" was a bit of an understatement, George thought. Two of the girls who had not been selected had dissolved into tears and were sobbing with heads on their arms.

When Fleur Delacour too had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it. The Hogwarts champion next…

And the Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled third piece of parchment.

"The Hogwarts champion," he called, "is Cedric Diggory!"

"No!" said Ron loudly, but nobody heard him except Harry; the uproar from the next table was too great. Every single Hufflepuff had jumped to his or her feet, screaming and stamping, as Cedric made his way past them, grinning broadly, and headed off toward the chamber behind the teachers' table. Indeed, the applause for Cedric went on so long that it was some time before Dumbledore could make himself heard again.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily as at last the tumult died down. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champions on, you will contribute in a very real-"

But Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking, and it was apparent to everybody what had distracted him.

The fire in the goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it another piece of parchment.

Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore. And then Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out-

"_Harry Potter."_

Bollocks.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: ****I want to apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I hope you enjoy it. :) **

**And I'm sorry if anyone had any double updates. I got a little confused the first time. xD **

* * *

><p>Hermione made to stand but when George broke out of his daze he gently tugged her back down by her arm. She looked at him, her eyes filled with worry for her best friend Harry. George pulled her in a one-armed hug and she put her head on his shoulder. Even a time as shocking as this, George noted that he rather liked having her on his arm.<p>

George glanced over at Harry as he sat there, aware that every head in the Great Hall had turned to look at him. Harry looked stunned, numb.

There was no applause. A buzzing, as though of angry bees, was starting to fill the Hall; some students were standing up to get a better look at Harry as he sat, frozen, in his seat.

Up at the top table, Professor McGonagall had got to her feet and swept past Ludo Bagman and Karkaroff to whisper urgently to Dumbledore, who bent his ear toward her, frowning slightly. Harry turned to Ron and Hermione, beyond them, he saw the long Gryffindor table all watching him openmouthed.

Hermione lifted her head off George's shoulder, but he kept his arm wrapped securely around her. She turned to look at Harry.

"I didn't put my name in," Harry said firmly. "You know I didn't." Hermione and Ron stared back blankly. At the top table, Dumbledore had straightened up, nodding to McGonagall.

"Harry Potter!" he called again. "Harry! Up here, if you please!"

"Go on," Hermione whispered, giving Harry a slight push.

Harry got to his feet, trod on the hem of his robes, and stumbled slightly. He set off up the gap between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables.

Hermione reached across the table, not caring who was watching, and grabbed George's hand. He was surprised, but pleased; he squeezed her hand and her mouth twitched into a half-almost-ish smiled.

"He'll be fine," George murmured. She nodded uncertainly. "You can question him later." He added gently. Hermione nodded more firmly this time and opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

Professor McGonagall, appearing rather flustered, cleared her throat loudly. "Yes, well... as eventful as that was... you may all return to your Houses."

Ron wasted no time, as he dashed away from the table, a look of confusion and slight anger definite on his freckled face.

"Come on, 'Mione," George said. "Let's go." Hermione nodded. She almost let go of his hand, but he squeezed it tighter, showing her he didn't mind. She tried to smile at him, but part of her was still a worried mess.

Hermione swung her legs over the bench and stood, George doing the same. Together, they walked back to the common room. George noticed Hermione was mostly silent, probably with worry, so he tried making her laugh.

She would laugh occasionally, but half-heartedly. Soon they fell in a silence. It might have been uncomfortable, had both not been too absorbed in their thoughts.

Hermione was worried for Harry. He always has a way of getting himself into trouble. She was also partly worried about Ron; he seemed really upset when he ran out of the Great Hall.

George was confused. Perhaps a little jealous.

_She's too busy worrying about Harry to think about you_, a little voice in the back of his mind seemed to tell him.

_Harry's her friend. Her best friend… I'm worried about him too_, George argued back. _She won't even pay attention to you…, _it taunted.

_She will once she finds out he's alright_, he mentally yelled at the voice.

_Exactly. You'll always come second to the Boy-Who-Lived…_

He forcefully shook his head, as if to rid himself of the small voice, still the thoughts made him worry.

They stopped in front of the Fat Lady and she was gossiping with her rude friend Violet.

"Balderdash," Hermione whispered, distractedly.

"Proceed," said the Fat Lady, sounding annoyed that they had interrupted her and her friend.

As soon as they entered, Hermione and George were thrown back by the force of the shouts and cheers that filled the common room as its inhabitants celebrated. As the rowdy Gryffindors chanted "Pot-ter!" Hermione felt George tightened his grip on her hand slightly and she saw his teeth clench but she didn't think much of it at the time.

George led her to the couch that was thankfully not occupied. Hermione took a deep breath, threw her hands up and said, "You see?"

George looked at her curiously.

"See what?" he questioned.

"If your name had come out of the Goblet, I would have been much worse. Ron probably would have carted me off to Hospital Wing the moment you disappeared into that little room." She said sounding exasperated. George blinked, in shock.

"Really?" Maybe he wasn't second to Harry at all!

Hermione nodded and swallowed. "Of course. I mean, Harry has definitely proven he can take care of himself. But I'm still worried about him because he's my best friend. Then again he's brave and has all of us to help him. Yes, you're brave as well and would have had all of your friends helping you, but I would have been in hysterics before the first task!" Hermione blurted out the words that she was certain didn't make a bit of sense. She turned red and muttered something too low for George to hear.

"I'm sorry?" he said.

She glared at him but answered, "I said I c-care about you too much." Hermione lowered her eyes to her hands, which were still intertwined with George's. He grinned like a nutter.

Summoning all his courage and swallowing his pride, bracing himself for rejection, George said, "Hermione?"

She lifted her head about half an inch, showing him she was listening, but still unbearably embarrassed.

George cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck, something he did when he was nervous. "Okay, I really need you to be patient because this is really hard for me and I was just, you know… hoping you would-"

Hermione looked up, her eyebrows pushing together, trying to figure out what he was getting at now that she was fully intrigued by his nervousness and red ears. Without meaning to, she blurted out a very fast, "Will-you-go-to-Hogsmeade-with-me?"

George stopped his stuttering and looked at her. "What did you say?" Hermione blushed and lowered her eyes again.

"I-I asked if you wanted to go to Hogsmeade with me… Can't you hear?" George blinked at her. His face broke into a wide, toothy grin.

"Really?"

"You don't have to have to if you don't want to! I was just…" Hermione trailed off lamely.

George quickly shook his head and said, "No! I want to!" Hermione's eyes widened. "I was just about to ask you the same thing!"

"Really?" Hermione face lit up and she blushed again. "I've been meaning to ask you for days now, but I couldn't wait any longer." Her blush deepened, but she kept a smile on her face.

"So have I!" George said excitedly. Hermione smiled at him. He grinned back just as Harry burst through the portrait hole, reminding them of recent events.

"I'll be right back, Fred and I want to ask Harry something." he said. Hermione nodded her head, looking ecstatic and sick with worry all at the same time. George made his way over to Fred and together they approached Harry.

"You should have told us you entered!" Hermione heard Fred bellow over the noise of the common room. He sounded half annoyed, half deeply impressed.

"How did you do it without getting a beard? Brilliant!" roared George. Hermione laughed loudly in spite of herself.

"I- I didn't," Harry said. "I don't know how-"

But Angelina had now swooped down upon him; "Oh well if it couldn't be me, at least it's a Gryffindor-"

"You'll be able to pay back Diggory for that last Quidditch match, Harry!" shrieked Katie Bell, another one of the Gryffindor Chasers. Hermione couldn't help notice that Katie's eyes lingered on George a little longer than necessary.

People swarmed around Harry, shoving food in his hands and forcing a banner over his shoulders. Nobody wanted to hear that he wasn't hungry. Nobody wanted to hear that he didn't put his name in the goblet. Not one single person seemed to have noticed he wasn't at all in the mood to celebrate.

Except of course Hermione.

* * *

><p>The morning of Hermione's date with George couldn't come fast enough. However, when it finally did, she found herself panicked and unprepared.<p>

When she realized she could hardly dress herself, Hermione begrudgingly asked for help. Reluctantly trudging to the third year dormitories, she quietly knocked on the door.

Ginny Weasley answered.

"Hey, 'Mione," she said. "What are you doing here?" Hermione hesitated before answering.

"I-I have a date…" Ginny's eyes widened comically and she jerked Hermione's arm and pulled her into the room.

"With who?" she screeched. Hermione then realized that she had asked the completely wrong person for help.

"Um… it's a surprise," Hermione stuttered. "Anyways, I'm not here to giggle. I need… help." Asking for help was something she hated doing. But this was an emergency. Ginny's smirk didn't help.

"Okay, I'll help you, but how do you want to look?"

"I want to dress casually, but look nice," Hermione answered uncertainly.

"Can we use make up?"

"I'd really rather not. You know how I feel about it." Hermione hated wearing make up. She always felt she was wearing a mask when she wore it.

"Alright," Ginny said reluctantly. "No make up. But am I allowed to touch the nest?"

"Of course," Hermione laughed, knowing she was joking.

"How long do we have?"

"Maybe an hour?" Hermione guessed. George had suggested they leave shortly after breakfast so they could stay as long as they please. Hermione had skipped breakfast, too busy getting ready to be hungry.

"What?" Ginny shrieked. Hermione really wished she would stop doing that; her ears were starting to hurt. "I only have an hour to make you look pretty?"

"Hey!" Hermione exclaimed, slightly offended.

"Sorry," Ginny muttered. "Come on, I have a sweater that will be perfect for you."

A long fifty-eight minutes later, Hermione had semi-flat hair and a simple yet pretty ensemble.

"Well?" she said to Ginny, nervously pulling at her hair and smoothing invisible wrinkles. Ginny stared at her with a small smile, looking at her from head to toe.

"You look amazing, 'Mione," she said.

"Thanks, Gin." Hermione smiled back at her nervously.

"Are you going to tell me who your date is now?" Ginny asked her. Hermione only kept smiling.

"It's a surprise," she repeated. Ginny rolled her eyes while Hermione chuckled quietly.

A familiar deep voice broke their momentary silence.

"Hermione?" it called from the common room. Hermione's eyes grew comically large as her nerves from that morning came floating back.

"Fred?" Ginny screamed. And then quietly, "Fred is your date?"

"No," Hermione said simply. "He's not my date." Ginny looked confused but nodded. "I have to go." Hermione sounded unsure, scratching her arm up and down.

"Are you asking me or telling me?" Ginny laughed again before Hermione hugged her tightly.

"Thanks a lot, Ginny," she said. "I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Don't mention it." Ginny smiled. "Let's go." Both girls left the dormitory and entered the common room.

George was standing by the couch, talking to Ron and Harry. Well, trying to anyways. Harry kept sending nervous glances towards Ron, while the latter was pointedly ignoring Harry completely. All three boys looked up when Hermione and Ginny descended the stairs.

"It is Fred!" Ginny said the same time Harry and Ron said, "Hermione?" Said girl wasn't paying much attention to her friends as she looked at George.

He was wearing dark jeans and a green button down shirt that surprisingly didn't clash horribly with his hair but flattered it immensely. The little grin he offered his sister grew once his eyes landed on Hermione.

Her simple blue sweater and jeans complimented her nicely, but her natural beauty took his breath away. George then turned to Ginny once more after giving Hermione a playful wink.

"No, dear sister," he said. "I'm George. And yes, boys," he said to Harry and Ron, "That is Hermione." Harry smiled at her while Ron just looked as if he was in a foul mood. He moved away from Harry slightly and gave Hermione a small smile. He then trudged up the stairs sulkily. Harry looked sad and worried, but Hermione merely shrugged and decided to enjoy this moment and interrogate Ron tomorrow.

"May I escort the lovely lady to Hogsmeade?" George asked, offering her his arm. She smiled and nodded. They waved to their friends and disappeared out the portrait hole.

"You really do look amazing, Hermione," George said as they entered Hogsmeade. She blushed.

"Thank you," she muttered. "You look dashing as well."

"Oh, I know," he said, dramatically shaking his shaggy hair. Hermione laughed. Summoning all of her Gryffindor courage, she interlaced their fingers. He smiled sweetly at her, his vivid blue eyes sparkling with happiness. She sighed contently as she leaned her body slightly against his.

"What are you thinking about?" George asked her.

"Nothing really," she replied.

Just as he was about to question her further, they noticed a sign that read TOMES AND SCROLLS (est. 1768). Hermione eyes visibly lit up and she hurried inside the store. She took a moment to just look at the different books surrounding her. She enjoyed being somewhere she could finally be herself. Hermione then ran off so fast George didn't know what direction she went in. He chuckled to himself before trying to find her.

After walking blindly through the bookstore for at least five minutes, George finally found her. She was reading a very old, very big book that probably weighed more than her. She was in the smallest corner of the store, where all the hundred year old books sat in dust. The smell made him want to sneeze… which he ended up doing quite nosily.

Hermione jumped at the sound and squealed in surprise before seeing George with an amused smile on his face. She blushed and smiled at him before returning to the enormous book.

* * *

><p><strong>Does anyone have anyone have any suggestions to what year I should stop this at? I was planning on continuing the story for fourth year through seventh year but it all depends on you guys. Reviews make me smile. :)<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Not J.K. Rowling**

The next few days after Hermione's date with George were wonderful. They had gone to almost every shop in Hogsmeade and though they hadn't kissed, she did peck his cheek when they had reached the common room late that night. George had grinned and squeezed her hand before she raced up the stairs to her dormitory. The following days they shared secret smiles and inside jokes. A week after their first date, Hermione and George found themselves alone in the common room- the first time they'd been alone since their trip to Hogsmeade.

Hermione blushed before George could even say anything. He had been sitting on the floor at her feet with Fred, but when his twin left to find Angelina Johnson, George moved to sit with Hermione on the couch. He snuck his arm behind her and she subtly scooted closer to him.

"I've really enjoyed all the time we've spent together lately," he said quietly. She smiled shyly and whispered, "Me too." Their faces were inches apart when George smiled softly.

"I was hoping we could become something more." Hermione's breath hitched slightly at his words and she merely nodded for him to continue. He moved closer to her and whispered, "Can I kiss you now?"

Hermione's eyes grew comically large. She managed a weak nod. George must have been nervous, because at her approval he visibly relaxed. He slowly leaned in, giving her plenty of time to turn away. She didn't. Hermione closed her eyes and prepared herself for the very first kiss of her life. But at that precise moment, when the two were a mere centimeter apart, Ronald Weasley came barging in through the portrait hole with a very loud Seamus Finnigan. Hermione and George jumped apart and looked anywhere but at each other. Hermione had never missed her Time-Turner more.

The next morning in the Great Hall, Hermione found herself squished between the twins. She was laughing so hard and slapping her hands on the table, terrifying the first years. Harry and Ron, however, were not laughing. They normally both sat on either sides of Hermione, so they didn't have to look at each other. But on that morning, Hermione decided she didn't want to awkwardly try to make conversation while her two best friends acted like pouting toddlers. She had squeezed in between the twins as soon as she reached the Gryffindor table and they instantly starting telling jokes and making everyone around them laugh. Except Harry and Ron who were being forced to look at each other. In short, their morning was not as nice as Hermione's.

Breakfast, unfortunately, had to come to an end. Hermione reluctantly stood from the table and bid the twins goodbye. She gave George an extra wave when she looked back and forced herself not to blush when he winked. It wasn't until after breakfast that Hermione realized how tired she was. She was able to suffer through History of Magic and Muggle Studies before she just gave up participating. It would be an understatement to say that her class, including Professor McGonagall, was merely shocked when a question was asked and Hermione didn't even attempt to raise her hand.

"Hermione, are you alright?" Lavender Brown had whispered to her after four questions had passed. Hermione yawned before answering.

"'M alright," she had said groggily. "'M just so tired I can't concentrate."

Throughout the night, all she'd been able to think about was her almost kiss with _George Weasley! _The very thought seemed ridiculous, she said to herself. However, there was no denying she had feelings for him. And last night he made it clear those feelings were reciprocated. She smiled to herself. If she was to be perfectly honest, she still wanted to kiss him. With all these thoughts zooming around her head, she had received absolutely no sleep. Seeing George that morning had only increased her thoughts; what if he never wants to try to kiss her again? What if he changed his mind about her? Hermione was so wrapped up in her thoughts- not to mention groggy from her lack of sleep- that she didn't notice Snape was standing right in front of her desk with a cold stare.

"Miss Granger, if you are bored in my class and wish to leave we wouldn't want to waste your _precious_ time." Hermione felt her face flush. She met his harsh black eyes.

"Sir?" she squeaked. She saw Malfoy and Parkinson shaking with laughter in the corner of her eye. Ron and Harry were staring at her in shock. Hermione was fully awake now. Fear and embarrassment pumping through her body. Snape sneered at her menacingly.

"Tell me, Miss Granger," he started, "what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Hermione racked her brain and tried to regain her "know-it-all" façade.

"The Draught of Living Death, sir," she replied. "A sleeping potion." Snape looked surly and narrowed his eyes.

"Five points from Gryffindor." Every Gryffindor groaned and Hermione lowered her eyes. "I realize that the Draught of Living Death is a sleeping potion, Granger; I am your Potions master, after all. I did not need for you to insult my intelligence and explain that to me." Harry and Ron looked furious and Hermione felt like crying.

As soon as class was over, she gathered her things and was the first one out the door. During lunch, she sat between Harry and Ron, disappointed that George wasn't out of class yet. She needed cheering up. Hermione still felt horrible at having lost Gryffindor five points. She sulkily picked at her lunch, thinking about how she greatly missed her morning. She pushed her half-eaten sandwich away as she yawned. At that moment, the Weasley twins slid in across from her at the table. "Tired, Granger?" Fred smirked. Another yawn was her reply.

"Why are you so tired?" George asked. "I thought you turned in your Time-Turner." Hermione raised an amused eyebrow.

"How did you know about the Time-Turner?"

"Ouch, Granger," Fred said, dramatically clutching his heart. "Remember who you're talking to." Hermione grinned.

"So sorry," she said sarcastically. "But to answer your question, I didn't sleep well last night."

"Why not? Is something bothering you?" George asked. She forced herself not to blush as she looked at him with tired eyes.

"I was just thinking of things."

"_Things?_ Are these things yours thoughts about almost snogging the less-better looking twin?" Fred smirked.

"You almost snogged Fred?" George feigned shock. Hermione rolled her eyes as she stood and gathered her books.

"I didn't almost snog _Fred_," she smiled shyly at George before leaving the Great Hall. Harry and Ron stared after her with confused eyes. They momentarily forgot about their anger to ask each other,

"Did Hermione just _flirt?" _

Hermione had somehow suffered through the rest of her day without falling asleep. She left the Great Hall once again, finished with her dinner and talking with Ginny. They were making their way back to the common room to study. The younger girl had become best friends with Hermione since her date with George. She was completely certain that Hermione and George would fall in love and get married. "I'm finally going to have a sister!" Ginny kept saying over and over. Hermione just blushed and said, "Shush! He's going to hear you and get scared off!"

"Who's going to hear what?" Ron asked as he appeared by her side.

"Mind your own business, Ronald!" Ginny said indignantly.

"But-" Ginny put her hands on her hips in her best impression of Molly Weasley. "Fine," he muttered as they reached the Fat Lady.

"Passw-" she started but at that moment, Harry came through the portrait hole. He paused to look at the three friends and slowly trudged up to the owlery with his head slightly down. Hermione worriedly bit her lip and seemed to argue with herself as to whether to go after him or not. Ginny stared after Harry for as long as he was visible with a dreamy and sad look on her face. Ron also watched Harry as he walked alone, seeming to miss his best friend. But as soon as the regret reached his eyes, they hardened and he lightly shoved the girls away so he could stomp into the common room.

The first task of the tournament was just a few days away and Hermione was worrying herself sick over Harry. They had no idea how he was going to handle it. And they still had no clue what "it" even was. The makers of this tournament were cruel in her mind. She sighed to herself. _Can't I just have _one _stress-free year at Hogwarts?_

"I'm going to the library," she said to Ginny. She nodded and waved as Hermione walked off. She got as far as the library doors before she remembered that her bag with all her homework was in her dormitory. She heaved a tired, annoyed sigh and turned on her heel, marching purposefully back towards Gryffindor Tower. It was on the way she bumped into one of the Weasley twins. Without a very thorough glance, Hermione threw her arms around him and proceeded to rant about how awful her day was and how she had missed him and just wanted to finally get her chance to kiss him so she could forget this "ruddy awful day". Two arms wrapped around her loosely and awkwardly patted her on the back.

"Err… terribly sorry for the bad day, 'Mione, but I don't believe I'm the twin you want to be snogging." Slightly hurt, Hermione released her grip on the twin and looked at his face. He watched in amusement as her eyes grew comically wide and she hastily stepped away, turning red. "Sorry, Fred," she mumbled before running off as fast as she could towards the common room. That is where she finally found the twin she'd been looking for.

George noticed her as soon as she set foot in the common room. He grinned and called her over to him, happy that she visibly brightened when they locked eyes.

"Hey, love," he said to her and she plopped down on the couch next to him. He wrapped his arm around her in a quick one-armed hug and kept it tucked behind her and she leaned away. Hermione blushed and said "I missed you."

"I missed you too, 'Mione," George grinned. "Now tell me about your day."

It was the night before the first task and Hermione was very jittery. She agreed that she'd help Harry sneak out after dark to go meet with Hagrid but that didn't mean she was happy about it. Her, Ginny, Fred, George and Harry were all sitting in front of the fire after dinner chatting and playing Exploding Snap. At around half past eleven, just as planned, Harry told the small group of friends that he wanted to go to bed early in preparation for the task. The group all nodded and gave him small smiles and bid him goodnight, except Hermione who nodded at him. As Harry was climbing the stairs Ginny yawned and claimed she was tired as well and made her way up to the girls' dormitory before asking Hermione if she was coming up.

"In a mo', Gin," she replied. The youngest Weasley sleepily nodded and continued up the stairs. Hermione was left alone with Fred and George and she knew she couldn't just randomly walk up to the portrait and open it for Harry. "Hey, George?" He looked at Fred in triumph as he had just won the game and smiled at her.

"Yeah, love?"

"You wanna go for a walk with me before bed?" His grin widened and he winked at her.

"But students aren't allowed out of their common rooms after dark, 'Mione." She smiled.

"Then it's a good thing I know we won't get caught since I'm with you." Fred had been glancing between the two with a look of amusement and mockingly sickened.

"Gred, go before she ends up snogging you senseless right here for the whole bloody house to see!" Hermione and George both turn crimson and hurriedly head towards the portrait hole. Hermione feels a ghost of a touch on her arm and she knows Harry is ready and hidden by the Invisibility Cloak beside her. She opens the portrait hole, steps away from it and hugs George tightly. Partly because she wanted to, partly so Harry could squeeze by without touching anyone. She heard him breathe a "Thanks" as he passed and that's when she let go of George, kissing him sweetly on the cheek.

He grinned at her and gently took her hand in his. They snuck out and around the halls a few times, not really talking much just enjoying each other's company. Then suddenly, George grabbed Hermione by the waist and pulled her into a broom cupboard with him. Muttering a quick silencing charm, he turned to look at her. She was watching him with curiosity and mischief. He took both her hands in his and he took a deep breath. "Hermione, I'm sure you've realized by now that I fancy you, quite a bit actually. Every second we spend together is one I cherish because you brighten my day just by being you. Now I know I'm not the best at this, Merlin this is hard, but I just want this to be perfect and not muck it up and I'm trying to let you know that everything is just amazing with you around and I never know how to really say it and I just-"

"George?"

"Yeah?"

"Get on with it, love."

"Hermione Granger, will you be my girlfriend?"

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><p><strong>AN: So, so, so terribly sorry for my long absence. But I suffered an unbelievable case of writers' block and, well, here I am, over a year later, finally updating. So anyway, don't give up on me yet. Love each and every one of you and I need ideas ASAP. Till next time,**

**-Lex**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Not Rowling. **

**A/N: The beginning of this chapter is taken from pages 345 of TGOF**

"Hermione," Harry whispered, when he had sped into greenhouse, uttering a hurried apology to Professor Sprout as he passed her. "Hermione—I need you to help me."

"What d'you think I've been trying to do, Harry?" she whispered back, her eyes round with anxiety over the top of the quivering Flutterby Bush she was pruning.

"Hermione, I need to learn how to do a Summoning Charm properly by tomorrow afternoon."

And so they practiced. They didn't have lunch, but headed for a free classroom where Harry tried with all his might to make various objects fly across the room towards him. He was still having problems. The books and quills kept losing heart halfway across the room and dropping like stones to the floor.

"Concentrate, Harry, _concentrate…" _

"What d'you think I'm trying to do?" said Harry angrily. "A great big dragon keeps popping in my head for some reason…"

And as much as Hermione scolded Harry on his concentration, she herself was having trouble focusing on the task at hand. Her mind kept shifting between her worry for her best friend and the night before with George.

"_Hermione Granger, will you be my girlfriend?"_

_Hermione's breath caught in her throat and she tried to speak but all she could manage was a blush and a nod. George, who had looked worried and tense only moments before, visibly relaxed and he gave her a huge, toothy grin. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off her feet as much as he could in the cramped cupboard. Hermione smiled right back at him and she even giggled slightly as he set her down gently._

"_George?" _

"_Yeah?"_

"_Kiss me." And with those two words, he swooped down and his lips finally captured hers. She hummed contently into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. He tightened his grip on her waist, and deepened the kiss only slightly, as to not scare her off. She smiled and pulled them even closer. With a small gasp, George pulled away and looked down at her. _

"_Wow," he breathed. "You're incredible, and you really do excel at everything you do.'" With a cheeky wink, he reached for her hands. Kissing them, he added, "And you're mine."_

"Okay, try again…" Hermione snapped herself out of her memories and went straight back to practicing.

It wasn't until dinner that night did Hermione finally get to see her boyfriend. She caught his eye as soon as she walked into the Great Hall and she nearly ran to her seat next to him. She plopped down on his right side, Fred on his left. George grabbed her hand under the table and gave it a squeeze.

"Hey, love," he said. She grinned and said hello to both the twins as she began piling food on her plate one-handed.

"Hungry, Granger?" Fred smirked as he watched her fill her plate with nearly everything in sight.

"Harry and I skipped lunch today so we could practice for tomorrow. So yeah, I'm starving." At that moment, Ginny and Ron appeared, sliding in their seats across from Fred and George.

Ginny immediately started asking questions. "How's he doing? Is he prepared? Is he gonna die? Have you helped him? You've made sure he's not going to die, right?"

"Gin, slow down," George said. "Harry is going to be just fine." Ron, who had been looking at Hermione as Ginny asked her questions, visibly relaxed. He seemed just as worried for Harry as the rest of them.

"Have any of you seen him, by the way?" Hermione asked. "I haven't seen him since lunch."

"I saw him in Divination last. He was walking towards the common room," Ron said. Hermione looked even more worried and squeezed George's hand.

"Oh, I hope he doesn't skip dinner too," she said to him. He tried to reassure her by letting go of her hand and putting one arm around her instead. Ginny looked suspiciously between the two of them when her face broke out in a huge grin.

"_You two are finally together?!"_ she screeched excitedly. Many Gryffindors around them turned to look at the group and the new couple blushed and ducked their heads.

"Ginny!" Hermione mumbled embarrassedly. The third year grinned triumphantly at her and said, "Well at least one good thing came out of today."

George gave his sister a cheeky wink and dramatically replied with, "Yes, Gin, I have asked for Hermione's hand in relationship with me and she accepted. Your dreams have come and now so have mine." Hermione smirked.

"That was so unbelievably cheesy, love." The five friends laughed and watched as the couple fit together nicely. Ginny grinned to herself mischievously; Hermione was going to be her sister one day.

And then Harry appeared, looking quite miserable. He sat on the other side of Ginny, trying to give everyone small smiles, even Ron, but it just looked like a grimace. He put as little amount of food on his plate he could get away with, without Hermione scolding him. Her lips pressed together worriedly but she didn't say anything. He seemed to have to force himself to eat and as soon as he was done he looked pointedly at Hermione. She had barely finished even half of her dinner but she knew they only had hours until the first task and he still needed loads more practice. So she gave George a peck on the check and an apologetic smile and told everyone else goodnight and let Harry drag her away. They returned to the empty classroom and practiced the Summoning Charm until midnight. They would have stayed longer, but Peeves turned up and, pretending to think that Harry wanted things thrown at him, starting chucking chairs across the room. Harry and Hermione left in a hurry before the noise attracted Filch, and went back to the Gryffindor common room, which they found to be empty except for George. He had a mischievous look in his eyes and gave his head a slight nod.

"And what _are _you doing out of bed at this hour, Potter?" he winked. Harry blinked awkwardly and looked between Hermione and George, who were now gazing at each other intently.

"Right then, I'll just… go. Night, 'Mione. George,"he nodded awkwardly at the older boy who absentmindedly waved back. Harry trudged up the steps to the boys' dormitory, leaving the couple alone.

"Ms. Granger, if I remember correctly, you didn't get to finish your supper," George said. Hermione's stomach rumbled loudly and she just realized how hungry she actually was.

"I'm _famished_," she groaned. George grinned, "Then I guess it's a good thing you're dating a trouble maker like me. Come on, love." And with that, he grabbed her hand and pulled her back through the portrait hole and they crept quietly through the deserted corridors of the castle.

George never let go of her hand and he seemed perfectly calm as he almost leisurely strolled down the hallways. Hermione, however, was very much on edge; practically tiptoeing behind him and jumping at every snore from the portraits around them. George had his wand out, dimly illuminating the way, and that made her even more nervous that they would be caught.

"Calm down, 'Mione, I'm not going to get you into trouble," he smiled at her. She relaxed a bit and flashed him a dazzling smile.

"Where are we going?"

"That, my love, is a surprise," George winked. He grabbed her arm and gently tugged her after him. Hermione bit back an amused and exasperated sigh; she hated surprises. The couple continued their long walk through the corridors, making light and happy conversations. Hermione's stomach kept rumbling every few minutes and George teased her endlessly for it.

George dragged her down the staircase leading to the Hufflepuff Basement and stopped in front of a painting of a fruit bowl.

"Are you taunting me with paintings of food now?" Hermione smirked. George grinned and shook his head.

"Not quite, love." He outstretched his hands and tickled the pear in the fruit bowl. It giggled and wiggled around in the bowl before it transformed into a door knob. Hermione quirked an eyebrow in curiosity and watched as George opened the newly available door with a smile.

Hermione peeked in and saw five long tables identical to the ones in the Great Hall. Pots and pans lined the walls and it was cleaned spotless. Hermione realized that this must be the kitchens. A picnic basket was sitting on top of one of the tables, a blanket and a single white rose were laying near it. Hermione looked at George with a slight smile and her eyes sparkled.

"What's all this?" George grinned and walked over the basket. He picked up the rose and handed it to her.

"I'm worthy of you," he whispered. She gazed at him fondly.

"You constantly surprise me," she said. "White roses are my favorite, mainly because of the meaning." George laced his fingers through hers and picked up the picnic basket and blanket.

"Come on, love." And so they left the kitchens and walked back through the corridors, chatting lightly and quietly, Hermione's wand illuminating the way. They walked until they reached the huge main oak front doors.

"George, you're not sneaking me out of the castle are you?" George's eyes sparkled with mischief.

"I wouldn't call this _sneaking, _we're just walking right out the front door." Hermione paused, looking uncertain. George smiled softly at her, his face full of honesty. "I promise I won't get us caught, 'Mione. Don't you trust me?" She stepped closer to him and wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Lead the way." George grinned and slid his arm around her shoulders so that they were walking arm and arm. Their hips kept playfully bumping each other and Hermione loved the contact. They made their way all the way down to the Quidditch Pitch when George finally stopped. He had taken them to the very middle, where candles were placed all around. Hermione gasped at the beauty and she looked at him excitedly.

"You did this?" He rubbed the back of his neck, something he did when he was nervous.

"Yeah," he said sheepishly. "Do you like it?" Hermione's eyes were slightly glassy as she grinned from ear to ear and crushed him in a hug. She let go before he could hug her back and she kissed him with as much emotion as she could put into it. His arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her slightly off her feet. Her giggle was muffled by their kiss and George gripped her tighter. Things were getting slightly more heated when Hermione's stomach rumbled loudly. They broke apart, Hermione blushing furiously and George throwing his head back in laughter.

Hermione chose those few moments to really take in the sight of him. His great belly laughs instantly put a smile on her face. His lips were swollen from the snogging and his hair was ruffled from her fingers running through it. His green eyes were bright with mirth and filling with tears of laughter. He was truly beautiful and Hermione could look at him all day. He had finally calmed down and grinned at her, wiping away tears.

"I know I am dazzling, love, but are you going to ogle at me all night?" Hermione smiled saucily and turned around towards the candles, intentionally swinging her hips. She unfolded the blanket and laid it on the ground, and lowered herself down. She looked up at him mischievously and said, "Aren't you coming?" George's mouth had been hanging open slightly at her boldness and he snapped it shut and scrambled next to her. She giggled and proceeded to open the basket and finally get to eat a proper meal.

_A/N: I know this is more of a filler chapter, so my apologies for that, but I'm really trying to jump back into this story again for you guys. I was so excited about updating again, I just had to post! Thank you all again for sticking around with me! Special thanks to Orange-Coyote for the wonderful ideas! Please, anyone, fill free to send me any ideas you may have. Hope this chapter was enjoyed, this is quickly becoming my favorite pastime all over again. With love, -Lex_


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